Current News

by Christina Nelson, et al We are family child care owners throughout the state of Vermont, and we support the current version of S.206, or the Early Childhood Educator Profession Bill. This legislation  creates individual licensure and professional recognition for early childhood educators working in Vermont’s family home and center-based programs, and includes provisions to support today’s family child care workforce and ensure our programs stay open. As family child care owners, we care for hundreds of Vermont’s youngest children, and we keep families in our rural communities working. In places like ours, when child care is available, parents can work. When it’s not, local businesses feel it immediately. 

Vermont State Police On Monday, April 20, 2026, the Vermont State Police Drug Task Force assisted members of the Brattleboro Police Department who, as part of a separate investigation, had executed a search warrant at 6 Reynolds Dr. in Brattleboro. Two individuals located in the residence were the focus of a drug investigation conducted by VDTF detectives into the distribution of cocaine from 6 Reynolds Dr. Courtney Stone was arrested on charges of sale of cocaine, two counts of conspiracy, and knowingly permitting the sale of regulated drugs in a dwelling. Stone was ordered held on $25,000 bail. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office has announced that Brodie Carstairs, 32, of Burlington, Vermont, was arraigned on 14 felony counts of online promotion of child sexual abuse materials, two counts of attempted use of a child in a sexual performance, three counts of felony possession of child sexual abuse materials, and one count of inciting to felony. The charges brought against Carstairs are the result of a criminal investigation, including the execution of search warrants conducted by the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC), which included personnel from the Attorney General’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Burlington Police Department.

Vermont Business Magazine The General Fund, Transportation Fund and Education Fund all exceeded their respective monthly consensus cash flow target in the state’s March 2026 revenue results. The Personal Income, Gas, Meals & Rooms and Sales taxes all had a strong month. The state’s three major funds were a combined $282.79 million, exceeding the $263.11 million monthly consensus target by $19.68 million, or 7.5%. Total General Fund revenues for March totaled $193.45 million, $14.53 million, or 8.1%, above the $178.93 million monthly consensus cash flow target. All major components except the Corporate Income Tax exceeded their targets.

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, today urged Vermont small businesses to apply for a refund from the U.S. government for President Trump’s reckless and illegal global tariffs.  The new refund program became available to businesses after a February ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court struck down President Trump’s global tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Senator Welch pushed President Trump to issue refunds after the ruling.

Vermont Business Magazine The Lake Champlain Chamber successfully hosted its sold out 115th Annual Gala on Thursday, April 16 at ECHO, bringing together over 300 business leaders and community members to celebrate the outstanding achievements of local businesses, organizations, and individuals. The evening was a resounding success, highlighting the vital contributions that drive Northwest Vermont's thriving economy forward. 

Vermont State Police's investigation into the crash has determined that Trooper Breen and another trooper were on duty and responding to a call for service in Jamaica when Trooper Breen lost control of his cruiser while negotiating a right-hand curve on Route 100. Breen’s cruiser traveled left of center and collided head-on with Christina Fisher’s Honda CRV. The troopers provided medical assistance to the four injured individuals in the SUV until emergency medical personnel arrived on scene. 

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark and a coalition of 22 states secured a federal court order blocking an unlawful attempt by the Trump Administration to threaten healthcare providers that provide care for youth with gender dysphoria. A federal district court issued a written opinion and judgment, granting the plaintiff states’ summary judgment motion. On December 18, 2025, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a declaration asserting that certain forms of gender-affirming care are “unsafe and ineffective.” In the declaration, Secretary Kennedy attempted to give HHS the power to exclude healthcare providers from Medicare and Medicaid programs simply for providing care for transgender adolescents.

by Richard Plumb, President of Saint Michael’s College For decades, American higher education has made a simple promise: earn a degree, get a good job. It was a compelling argument — and, for many years, a true one. But today, that promise is under strain. Recent graduates are taking longer to find work. Employers are rethinking entry-level roles. And advances in artificial intelligence are rapidly reshaping what skills matter and how work gets done. At the very moment families are asking more of college than ever, the traditional case for its value is becoming harder to make. That does not mean college has lost its purpose. It means the purpose must be more clearly defined and more honestly delivered.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $4.04 per gallon, down 5.6 cents per gallon from last week's $4.10/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $3.83/g while the highest was $4.19/g, a difference of 36.0 cents per gallon. The national average price of gasoline has fallen 9.4 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.97/g today. The national average is up 3.9 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 87.4 cents per gallon higher than a year ago.

by Maggie Lenz and Gwynn Zakov On Thursday and Friday, the House debated and ultimately passed H.955, the major education reform bill, on a largely party-line vote, with all Republicans and several Democrats and Progressives voting in opposition. The vote reflects both the urgency around education reform and the lack of consensus on how to get there. Under the House proposal, lawmakers moved away from the earlier concept of forced mergers after Vermonters flooded the Legislature with resistance to a top-down consolidation approach. In its place, the bill establishes a structured, statewide process intended to move districts toward consolidation without requiring it outright. Districts will ultimately vote on consolidation, which means the Legislature is requiring the analysis and the process while leaving the final decision at the local level.

Vermont Business Magazine Walmart has announced continued reinvestment across Vermont, with plans in 2026 to remodel its Derby and Williston stores as part of ongoing efforts to modernize the in-store and digital shopping experience—upgrading layouts, technology, and services to offer faster, more convenient shopping and delivery in as little as an hour to most customers. These efforts reflect Walmart’s commitment to supporting economic growth and strengthening communities statewide.